CDMX, Mexico. –The president of Mexico, Claudia Sheinbaum, He assured this Monday that his government is carrying out “all the necessary diplomatic actions” to recover the shipment of oil to Cuba, despite the sanctions announced by the United States against the countries that supply crude oil to the Island.
“We are going to continue supporting and continue doing all the necessary diplomatic actions to be able to recover the oil shipment, because you cannot hang a town like that, in that way,” declared the president during your daily press conferencein which he also described these sanctions as “very unfair.”
Sheinbaum reiterated that Mexico will maintain its support for the “people of Cuba”: “One can agree or not with the Cuban government regime, but the people should never be affected,” he said.
Likewise, he emphasized Mexico’s tradition of solidarity: “The essence of the people of Mexico is brotherhood, support,” he said, and specified that his country has already sent food to the Island. “Now food was mainly sent and more will be sent and we will support whatever is needed,” he said.
Later, Sheinbaum stressed: “This sanction that is being imposed on the countries that sell oil to Cuba is very unfair. Very unfair. It is not right, because the sanctions that affect the people are not right,” he insisted. “They don’t have fuel for the hospitals, for the schools, so the people suffer,” he stressed.
In addition, the president pointed out that Mexico is promoting an “international call and the United States to support the people of Cuba and end the sanctions.
Last Thursday, the president of the United States, Donald Trump, signed an executive order in which declared “national emergency” with respect to Cuba, considering that “the policies, practices and actions” of Havana constitute “an unusual and extraordinary threat” to the national security and foreign policy of the United States.
Said order establishes a “tariff system” that would allow the imposition of an additional tax on imports from countries that “sell” or “provide” oil to Cuba, directly or indirectly.
The document indicates that, “as of the date of entry into force,” this additional rate “may be imposed” on imported goods that are “products” of any country that supplies oil to the Island.
The provision places Mexico at the center of the potential impact, given that in 2025 it became the main supplier of crude oil to the Island, with around 44% of Cuban imports, according to calculations by the consulting firm Kpler cited by Financial Times. In recent days, the Government of Claudia Sheinbaum acknowledged that at least “temporarily” it has paused oil shipments to Cuba and defended that it is a sovereign decision, not dictated by Washington.
The announcement about the national emergency and the tariff threat came the same day that Trump and Sheinbaum held a telephone conversation that both described as productive, focused on trade and security, on the eve of the review of the treaty between the United States, Mexico and Canada (T-MEC/USMCA).
Reuters reported that it was not clear whether that call discussed the tariff warning linked to oil to Cuba. According to the same cable, the trade agreement establishes that the three countries must launch a joint review before July 1, 2026 – the sixth anniversary of the pact – to confirm their intention to renew it for 16 years or introduce modifications.
Washington’s pressure on energy supplies to Cuba has become a sensitive issue for Mexico since at least the last month. Last week it emerged that the Mexican Government was evaluating options—including the possibility of stopping or reducing shipments—due to fears of retaliation from the Trump Administration, in a context of bilateral negotiations on trade and security issues.
Shortly after, Sheinbaum avoided denying that Mexico had detained a shipment and defended that decisions are made under criteria of sovereignty.
This Thursday, the newspaper Financial Times He assured that the Island had “between 15 and 20 days” of oil available, which threatens to aggravate blackouts and fuel restrictions.
